Ferncloud
Ferncloud is a lightly framed, pale gray she-cat with darker gray flecks on her pelt, and dark green eyes. History In the Super Edition Arc Firestar's Quest : Ferncloud is now Dustpelt's mate, and she is nursing their sons, Shrewkit and Spiderkit. She is shown to be very protective of them. : Ferncloud leaves the nursery to attend a Clan meeting with Brightheart. She is with Dustpelt. : She sits, sunning herself, with Brightheart while Shrewkit and Spiderkit are play-fighting nearby. : She draws her kits protectively towards her when the badger is reported and doesn't seem convinced that they are safe, despite Firestar telling her he sent Cloudtail's patrol to track it. When Willowpelt is killed by a badger, Cinderpelt takes Sootpaw, Rainpaw and Sorrelpaw to the nursery to be looked after by Ferncloud and Brightheart. : Ferncloud questions Firestar's decision to leave the Clan for a little while, because she is worried about the badger killing her kits. Bramblestar's Storm : She is mentioned as one of the cats have lost their lives during the Great Battle, by one of the many claw marks represented on a branch with no bark under the Highledge. Nocat is mentioned star. : More Coming Soon In The Prophecies Begin Arc Into the Wild : She is born to Brindleface along with her brother, and two other unnamed kits. One of the kits is a dark gray tom, the other a pale gray with darker flecks. Fire and Ice : Two of her littermates have their lives taken away by a deadly sickness. : She receives Cloudkit as a foster brother when Fireheart brings his sister's kit into the Clan, and Brindleface agrees to nurse him. : As they grow older, Cloudkit frequently gets her and her brother into trouble. During a blizzard in the middle of leaf-bare, all three kits go missing, and a search party led by Fireheart finds them apparently huntingprey in the snow. Forest of Secret : Although unnamed, she appears several times. During Thornpaw and Brightpaw's apprentice ceremonies, Brindleface's kits stumble out of the nursery to watch. Soon after, when Brackenpaw, Sandstorm, and Fireheart hunt, Brindeface is in the hollow with her kits who scramble about the snow, and the queen explains that the kits need to stretch their legs, as the snow made them restless. : After the battle with WindClan and ShadowClan, Brindleface brings her kits out to see what is going on. When Fireheart brings Graystripe's kits to the ThunderClan nursery, he sees Brindleface curled around her kits and Cloudkit. Before Cloudkit becomes an apprentice, he rushes to tell Fireheart about it, and Brindleface and her kits follow more slowly. Rising Storm : She and her brother become apprentices. She takes the name Fernpaw, and receives Darkstripe as her mentor. Fernpaw appears to be frightened of her new mentor. : When ThunderClan escapes the fire by going to Sunningrocks and then to RiverClan, Fernpaw is seen talking with Smallear, Speckletail, Darkstripe, Dustpelt and Cinderpelt about the broken ritual of Fireheart's deputy ceremony. Dustpelt rebukes Darkstripe for speaking out of line, for fear of scaring Fernpaw. A Dangerous Path : Fernpaw is one of the apprentices, along with Ashpaw, Thornpaw, and Brightpaw, that Swfitpaw gathers. When he suggests they go to attack the animals that were stealing the Clan's prey, she refuses to, though Brightpaw goes with him. : Fernpaw tells Dustpelt when Brightpaw and Swiftpaw don't come back, and they go to tell Fireheart together. She tells him that they went to go and find out what was leaving a mess near Snakerocks, in an attempt to impress Bluestar. Dustpelt encourages her to speak, and he seems to have a strong liking for her. : Brindleface, Fernpaw and Ashpaw's mother, is brutally murdered by Tigerstar, to give the dogs sheltering at Snakerocks a taste for cat blood. Fernpaw and Ashpaw are devastated by this. Angry and determined to avenge their mother's death, she and Ashpaw are one of the cats that run to lead the dogs over the gorge. The Darkest Hour : Fireheart spots Fernpaw and Ashpaw after they got rid of the dog pack, and he tells them that they did a good job. Fernpaw says that they knew that they had to keep the dogs away from the camp. Dustpelt comes up to Fernpaw and Ashpaw and tells them that they did brilliantly. : After Firestar returns from Mothermouth, Fernpaw remarks that he would make a great leader. Dustpelt, who has obvious affections for her, agrees. : When Darkstripe is accused of feeding Sorrelkit deathberries, Fernpaw tells Firestar that she does not want him to be her mentor if he really is guilty, and Firestar agrees. : Dustpelt volunteers to mentor her along with Ashpaw following Darkstrpe's exile, but Firestar knows he has feelings for her and tells him that he won't be nearly as tough on Fernpaw as he is on Ashpaw. Fernpaw receives Longtail as a new mentor. : She attends the Gathering with Sandstorm, Graystripe, Thornclaw, Frostfur and Ashpaw. : Fernpaw helps Cinderpelt carry herbs to Fourtrees and to care for injured cats during the battle against BloodClan. When Firestar's decision is announced, Dustpelt flashes him a grateful glance. In the New Prophecy Arc Midnight : Ferncloud has given birth to three more kits, Birchkit, Larchkit, and Hollykit. : Ferncloud is seen watching her kits with pride as they play in the puddles after the rain, as this is the first time they have seen rain. Again she is mentioned playing with her kits at the entrance to the nursery;Brambleclaw stops to speak briefly with her, commenting on how healthy and strong her kits are. Later, she is seen sitting with Dustpelt, watching their kits play. Moonrise : Ferncloud is first seen washing herself at the entrance to the nursery while keeping a careful eye on her kits who are watching their older sibling, Shrewpaw, play-fighting with Whitepaw. : When Firestar calls a Clan meeting to discuss the Twoleg monsters on ThunderClan territory, Ferncloud sweeps her tail protectively around her kits and cries out, asking what their going to do. She is comforted by Dustpelt. : As the prey supply diminishes, Dustpelt is concerned as Ferncloud is losing a lot of weight. Ferncloud cares for her weakening kits as the forest is slowly destroyed. With the prey nearly gone, Ferncloud does not eat enough, and as a result, her milk supply suffers. Larchkit soon dies of hunger, leaving Ferncloud devastated. She blames herself for Larchkit's death, even though it is not her fault. : She is later sharing tongues with Dustpelt, who persuades her to eat a mouse to keep her strength up for her two remaining kits. Dawn : She is first seen when Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw and Stormfur return from the Great Journey, hunched over her two remaining kits. She becomes angry at the returning cats, accusing them of leaving because they couldn't face leaf-bare with the rest of the Clan and noting that Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw look better fed than the rest of ThunderClan. She later accepts fresh-kill from Brambleclaw, and Squirrelpaw notices how thin she has become and how small her kits are. : Ferncloud does her best to care for her two remaining kits as the Clan is forced to shelter at Sunningrocks. Her milk supply grows shorter and Hollykit soon dies. She grieves and Cody persuades her to eat the poppy seed Cinderpelt has given her to soothe the pain. While Ferncloud sleeps, Cody looks after Birchkit. : Shrewpaw, her son from her first litter is killed when his neck is broken on the Thunderpath while chasing a pheasant. This adds to Ferncloud's grief. : She is seen washing Birchkit as the cats prepare to embark upon the Great Journey. She accepts traveling herbs from Leafpaw and scolds Birchkit when he complains about the bitter taste. : When the traveling cats stop for the night, she agrees with Tallpoppy that the kits will be warm enough where they are. : At the mention of mountains, Ferncloud is seen drawing Birchkit towards her protectively. She voices her worries about the snow and seems to fear for losing Birchkit too. Birchkit misses Cody and Ferncloud reassures him that there will be time for fun when they reach their new home. : She is seen comforting Tallpoppy when Marshkit almost gets taken by an eagle. She later shares tongues with her, their kits playing together, suggesting friendship. Starlight : She is first seen with Dustpelt, Birchkit and Longtail sheltering underneath some trees. They make a temporary den in some bushes. She sits with Dustpelt and Birchkit, who is playing with Tallpoppy's kits, when Squirrelflight reports the discovery of the stone hollow. : She explains to Birchkit that Tallpoppy and her kits, Applekit, Toadkit and Marshkit, are ShadowClan and that they will have to live separately when the Clans part. Ferncloud shares a look of regret with Tallpoppy and the kits say their goodbyes, before parting. : Spiderpaw, her older son, charges ahead into the bushes and is stopped by Squirrelflight who prevents him from falling into the hollow. Ferncloud seems doubtful the hollow can become ThunderClan's new camp. She asks Brambleclaw to find her somewhere warm and dry for Birchkit for fear he will catch whitecough. : Ferncloud helps make the new nursery by a bramble thicket. Birchkit tries to help but gets under Dustpelt's paws. Ferncloud tells him not to scold the kit, commenting that it is good that he is happy enough to play after all that has happened. Birchkit almost falls from the top of the hollow after he tries to follow a patrol. He is rescued by Brambleclaw, and Dustpelt sends him back to Ferncloud. : Her older son, Spiderpaw, becomes a warrior, with the name of Spiderleg. Ferncloud and Dustpelt look on proudly. Twilight : Ferncloud joins the rest of the Clan when Firestar calls a meeting. She sits with Dustpelt and Birchkit, and smooths her kit's messy fur. When Birchkit offers to help Whitepaw with her chores, Ferncloud reminds him that he can't be an apprentice for another moon. : Ferncloud returns to warrior duties when Birchkit is apprenticed to her brother, Ashfur. : When Daisy arrives in ThunderClan with Berry, Mouse and Hazel, Ferncloud ushers them into the nursery and helps Brightheart and Sorreltail take care of them. She is later seen bringing Daisy some fresh kill. : She is seen crouched by the fresh-kill pile with Dustpelt when the Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw return from WindClan after looking for Leafpool. : When the badgers attack ThunderClan, she bravely leads Daisy, Daisy's kits, and young Birchpaw to safety. She starts to speak to Leafpool when she returns, but sends her on to help the Clan with the badgers. At the end of the battle, her mate, Dustpelt, worriedly asks if Ferncloud is safe. Squirrelflight reassures Dustpelt that she is safe and unwounded. Sunset : She worries that Dustpelt has been killed by the badgers and gets Brambleclaw to help her look for him. They find him alive and the pair greet each other happily. She sits beside Birchpaw as he waits for treatment and licks his shoulder comfortingly. She stays with him while Leafpool treats his wounds. : When Daisy considers leaving, Ferncloud asks her to stay, trying to persuade her that things will be easier once it is newleaf. : Firestar later calls a meeting and she sits beside Leafpool who reassures her that Birchpaw will be fine. Ferncloud is said to be very worried about her son's injuries after losing her other kits in the forest territory. She tells Leafpool she is glad she returned and that she is 'a wonderful medicine cat'. : When Goldenflower complains that the new lake territory is worse than the old forest, Ferncloud disagrees, saying that there would be nothing left of the old forest anyway, and claiming that StarClan would not have brought them somewhere they cannot survive. : She has returned to warrior duties and goes on patrol with Thornclaw and Dustpelt. : She wakes Brambleclaw accidentally when she is looking for Daisy in the warriors' den. She comes to the conclusion that Daisy must have taken her kits away deliberately. When Sorreltail says she wants to go on the search party, she tells her that she needs to stay with her kits. : She attends the meeting in which Firestar appoints a new deputy to replace Graystripe, Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw accidentally assigns her to two patrols when he sets them for the first time. In the Power of Three Arc The Sight : Prior to the beginning of the book, she suckles Hollykit, Jaykit, and Lionkit when Squirrelflight's milk doesn't come. : When she gives birth to Icekit and Foxkit, Daisy helps to take over care of Lionkit, Hollykit, and Jaykit. She snaps at Jaykit when he lands on Foxkit and Icekit, although they are not hurt and she is not angry for long. She seems doubtful Jaykit will be able to become an apprentice, being blind, but does not say this. She sends them outside to play. : When the fox den is announced, Ferncloud voices her fears that the cubs will find the camp. It is mentioned that she is in the nursery with Daisy when Jaykit, Lionkit and Hollykit sneak out of camp. She is distressed when Jaykit falls from the top of the hollow. : When the trio get into trouble after the trying to track the fox, she and Daisy are in charge of the kits and allow them to leave only when they say they can. When Hollykit leaves once without permission to see Leafpool for Lionkit who has thorns in his pelt, after sneaking out of the nursery at night, she lets the kits off easy saying she was doing it for a good cause. She then sends them outside to get some fresh kill. : Brightheart promises her that Jaypaw will watch her kits while she goes hunting as she hasn't left camp for two moons. : She attends the clan meeting to decide which of Graystripe and Brambleclaw will remain deputy, sitting beside Millie. : When Ashfur is picked to go on the patrol to help WindClan, she tells her brother to be careful, because hermother had been killed by Tigerstar for showing a taste of cats' blood to a dog pack in the old forest territory. Ashfur says that he has outrun dogs before, and Ferncloud reminds him that she was at his side then. Ashfur comforts his sister, saying that he now has her and her kits to protect. : She becomes ill with greencough, but under Jaypaw and Leafpool's care, she quickly recovers. : She organizes a treasure hunt game for her kits when they can't go to the daylight Gathering, asking them to bring her some moss, a beetle and a fly, so they don't get bored while the rest of the Clan was at the Gathering. Dark River : Ferncloud continues to care for her latest litter of kits Icekit and Foxkit. She shoos her kits away from the nursery while Graystripe and Millie reinforce the den with brambles in case of battle. Icekit and Foxkit want to fight like warriors with the rest of the Clan, but Ferncloud takes them to the nursery, telling them that they'd only be in the way and that they will have plenty of battles to fight when they are older. Outcast : Ferncloud becomes a grandmother to Spiderleg and Daisy's kits, Rosekit and Toadkit. She looks after Rosekit and Toadkit while Daisy watches her older kits' Warrior Ceremony. : When Hollypaw brings Daisy a blackbird, Foxkit asks for some. Ferncloud says no and tells him and Icekit to go and fetch some fresh kill from the pile. Her kits are made into apprentices, Foxpaw and Icepaw. Foxpaw is apprenticed to Squirrelflight, and Icepaw is apprenticed to Whitewing. : She is seen looking out of the nursery as Dustpelt, Mousewhisker, Sandstorm and Honeypaw are leaving on the dawn patrol. : It is mentioned that she picks up Tallpoppy's kit and carried her when she falls over on the Great Journey. Eclipse : She is first seen sharing a pigeon with Sorreltail after hunting. : She scolds Foxpaw and Icepaw at Poppypaw and Honeypaw's warrior ceremony for arguing when Firestar is trying to speak. : During the WindClan invasion, she and some other warriors stay behind to guard the camp. When Dustpelt and Foxpaw are leaving, she seems sad to say good-bye to one of her kits, probably because of Shrewpaw, Hollykit and Larchkit's death in the old forest. : She finds it hard to stay in camp and hear the fighting without being able to help. She questions Jaypaw about the battle and he comforts her. She doesn't quite believe him and then asks him what StarClan has told him. : When Leafpool suggests the disappearing sun is a message from StarClan, Ferncloud demands to know what the message was. : Icepaw begs Ferncloud to let them hide in the nursery and she calls to Ferncloud that she can't see. Ferncloud questions why ThunderClan have to suffer when WindClan started the fight. Long Shadows : She is seen sleeping in the warriors' den with Dustpelt when Lionblaze disturbs them. Later, she returns to the nursery to help Daisy to look after all the kits. She is seen at the entrance to the nursery watching the kits play. : When Littlecloud comes to fetch Tawnypelt and her kits, Ferncloud brushes against Sandstorm in agreement with her comment that Blackstar's change of heart is good for all the Clans. She says that there should always be four Clans living by The Warrior Code. : Dustpelt gets ill and Ferncloud won't allow him to go on patrol despite his protests. She asks Jaypaw if there's anything she can do to help and he asks her to get Thornclaw to eat some fresh kill when he wakes. When Firestar gets ill, she questions what will happen if he dies; she is sure WindClan and RiverClan will attack again. : She helps prepare the abandoned Twoleg nest for the sick cats. She tries to go to Dustpelt, but Birchfall bars her way so she won't catch the sickness and she buries her head in his shoulder, upset. She is chosen to attend the Gathering along with Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, Graystripe, Cloudtail, Cinderheart, Leafpool and Jayfeather. : Ferncloud's brother, Ashfur, is found, dead in the stream by the WindClan border. It is assumed he drowned until Leafpool is preparing his body for his vigil when she finds teeth marks in his throat, proving that he was murdered instead of drowned. Sunrise : She sits with Brightheart, Brackenfur and Sorreltail, and listens to Thornclaw as he tells the Clan how it must have been WindClan who murdered Ashfur and that they must lead a raid on them. Ferncloud gently tells Honeyfern that no cat in ThunderClan would have killed her brother, contradicting what Firestar had said earlier. : When Foxpaw is told to go with a patrol to mark the WindClan border he says he doesn't like WindClan and Ferncloud comforts him, telling him there is nothing to be afraid of anymore. : She sounds proud of Whitewing when the queen gives birth to two kits, Dovekit and Ivykit, saying how hard it is to do so in leaf-bare. In the Omen of the Stars Arc The Fourth Apprentice : Ferncloud remains in the nursery with Daisy, even though neither she-cat is expecting kits. After Leopardstar makes claims to the lake's fish, she is sympathetic about how thin and weak RiverClan looked, and tries to convince Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Dustpelt to just let them have the fish. : Ferncloud is one of the few cats that feel sympathetic towards Rainstorm, asking if he can have some fresh-kill, but the idea is quickly put down. : When her mate, Dustpelt, hurts his back on a patrol, she makes him see Jayfeather, claiming him to be annoying and complaining over it. : When Jayfeather is looking for Poppyfrost, Ferncloud tells him that she isn't in the nursery, and she probably just went out to stretch her legs or take a drink of water. She is puzzled instead of worried and escorts Daisy back to the nursery, who is frantic. : She is present during Poppyfrost's kitting, and tells Berrynose that he is blocking the light that they needed, and that he really isn't helping. She happily reports to Poppyfrost that her first kit is a tom. Fading Echoes : She is seen exiting the nursery when Poppyfrost's kits, Molekit and Cherrykit are playing outside. It is said that she and Daisy prefer to stay in the nursery to help any new queens with their kits and that they have helped raise so many kits that young apprentices are more likely to turn to them for advice than the elders. She alerted the Clan when the RiverClan cats, Mistystar and Mothwing, entered the camp. She swished her tail on the ground to tell Molekit and Cherrykit to go back to their mother in the nursery. : When Briarpaw is injured by the falling tree, she comforts Graystripe and Millie, telling them that Jayfeather is doing all he can. She seems hopeful when she sees Leafpool is helping him. Night Whispers : Ferncloud is a minor character in this book, only seen once in the nursery, helping the other queens. Sign of the Moon : Ferncloud does not formally appear in Sign of the Moon but is listed in the allegiances. The Forgotten Warrior : Ferncloud first appears at Molekit and Cherrykit's apprentice ceremony. She and Daisy congratulate Brackenfur when he announces that Sorreltail is once again expecting kits. Ferncloud is overjoyed at the news. She touches her muzzle to Sorreltail's shoulder and welcomes her back to the nursery. : When Sol returns to ThunderClan, she is seen speaking in undertones to Dustpelt and Squirrelflight. : Daisy also mentions that she and Ferncloud had made an excellent nest when Sorreltail decides to move back into the nursery a half-moon before her kits are born. : When Sorreltail wanders out of camp and then begins to kit, Ferncloud and Brackenfur race to help her.Dovewing is reassured to know the most experienced queen in the Clan is going to help. Ferncloud gives wet moss to Sorreltail so she can drink, and Dovewing thanks her. She also breaks some fennel stalks and trickles the juice into Sorreltail's mouth. When Sorreltail gives birth, Ferncloud announces the first kit, a she-kit. She promises Sorreltail the kits will be fine, even after seeing how small and weak they are, and carries one back to camp. In the nursery, Ferncloud and Daisy lick the two kits while Sorreltail rests. : She is briefly mentioned to be sharing tongues with Daisy outside the nursery entrance shortly after Sorreltail gives birth. : When Dovewing and Ivypool go missing in the tunnels, Ferncloud pops her head out of the nursery to listen to the news, then goes back inside. : Ferncloud is in the center of the circle crowded around Mousewhisker and Cherrypaw after they eat water hemlock. Daisy expresses worry for her son, and Ferncloud comforts her. : She is last seen promising to defend Sorreltail and her kits if WindClan warriors invade the camp. The Last Hope : When Jayfeather gets grumpy, he hisses at Cherrypaw for trampling on her moss. Ferncloud is seen by the nursery gossiping with Daisy. She pokes her head out of the nursery when the Firestar is almost ready to go to the Gathering. : Ferncloud marches from the nursery and grabs a shrew from Bumblestripe, telling him that Brightheart would appreciate the shrew more than he would. Ferncloud later has a bellyache, so Cinderheart checks up on her. Jayfeather picks a few chervil roots for her bellyache. When Jayfeather visits StarClan, he tells Longtail that Ferncloud still ruled the nursery as ferociously as any warrior. : Ferncloud is seen aasping when the Clan finds out the Dark Forest warriors can cross onto a Clan's territory. She says she won't let anyone hurt Brightheart's newborn kits. : Before the battle, she is seen with Daisy pacing outside the nursery, the fur on her and Daisy's spines sticking up like thorns. She promises to Brightheart that no cat will touch her kits. : In the battle with the Dark Forest, she is seen hissing from the entrance of the hollow, calling the Dark Forest cats cowards. Ferncloud defends the nursery with Daisy and Brightheart. She growls that the camp had been destroyed from the attack. : When the Dark Forest retreats, Brokenstar remains and plucks her out of the nest by her neck, killing her in the process. Dustpelt is distraught when he sees her body. Her grown kits surround her, grief swallowing them all. When Dustpelt gets angry with the bystanders and his kits, Firestar replies saying there was nothing they could do to have possibly saved her, and she died honorably. Amberkit asks why Ferncloud is asleep, and Snowkit says that she is just tired from fighting, and Dustpelt will come to wake her up. : When Firestar's spirit goes to StarClan, Dustpelt asks Firestar to tell Ferncloud that he loves her. When Ferncloud's spirit follows, the kits exclaim that she is awake, and she nods her head towards Dustpelt before leaving with StarClan. In the Field Guide Arc The Ultimate Guide : Ferncloud is one of the cats Brambleclaw sees during his leadership ceremony. When Brambleclaw says her name, she nods. She says that it was a bittersweet meeting. She apologizes for leaving them behind, and asks him to take care of Dustpelt and their kits. Brambleclaw replies that he will. Ferncloud tells him to tell them that she will be waiting for them. She then nudges his chin with her nose and gives him the life for protecting the Clan, telling him to honor the she-cats who choose to live in the nursery. In the Novellas Tigerclaw's Fury : : Fernpaw does not formally appear in Tigerclaw's Fury but is listed in the allegiances. Leafpool's Wish : : Ferncloud does not formally appear in Leafpool's Wish but is listed in the allegiances. Hollyleaf's Story : : Ferncloud does not formally appear in Hollyleaf's Story but is listed in the allegiances. Mistystar's Omen : : Ferncloud does not formally appear in Mistystar's Omen but is listed in the allegiances. Dovewing's Silence : Briefly mentioned, Millie asks some cats to help arrange the dead bodies of Ferncloud, Hollyleaf, andMousefur. Dustpelt is seen staring at the body of Ferncloud. He gives a snarl saying that he will never leave her side again, after Icecloud tells him that he needs to see Leafpool. Dovewing feels sad for Ferncloud, knowing that she was the mother of Icecloud, Foxleap, and Birchfall. Trivia * Either she or her brother, Ashfur, were mistakenly called tawny. * She was once mistakenly described as dark gray. * She has been described as mottled. * In the family tree on the official Warriors site, it states that Whitestorm is the mate to Brindleface, and father to Ashfur and Ferncloud. This tree was however confirmed not to be canon, and therefore it's unconfirmed whether he truly has any relation to them. ** However, on Vicky's Facebook page, she says that Whitestorm could actually be her father. * She has been described with blue eyes. * Vicky revealed that Ferncloud's death was the result of fan complaints. Ferncloud was placed into battle, due to Vicky believing that she was capable of fighting just as well as any warrior. Her fierce protection of young Clan cats is what put her in the thick of battle, in the defense of the nursery.